With the Pope due to arrive in Britain in just over a month, the Catholic Church is facing a £2.6m shortfall in donations needed to pay for the visit.

The Church officially needs to raise £7m to pay for the pastoral elements of Pope Benedict's state visit although sources involved in organising the trip have said the final bill will be closer to £8m.

So far the Catholic Church in England, Wales and Scotland has raised just £5.1m, with the vast majority — £4m — coming from wealthy private and corporate donors.

Just £1.1m has been given through individual collections at Mass – the equivalent of £1.27 for each regular mass-going Catholic.

The difficulty that the Church has had in soliciting donations from its own faithful reflects a growing fear that Benedict's visit is unlikely to generate the sort of papal hysteria that swept Britain in 1982 when his predecessor, John Paul II, was greeted by more than 2 million Catholics and non-Catholics alike.

"I wouldn't want to say that the reaction has been lukewarm but it certainly hasn't been red hot," says Clifford Longley, columnist for The Tablet. "I noticed in my own parish that they still have tickets available for the Hyde Park vigil and the Newman beatification. We're not in a situation where people are queuing around the block for tickets."

When Benedict's jet touches down at Edinburgh Airport on 16 September, he will encounter a very different country to the one that greeted Pope John Paul. Karol Wojtyla was a charismatic cleric who had won plaudits in the West for the way he had stood up to Soviet Communism. He had survived an assassination attempt and the opening stages of his papacy were dominated by the desire to reach out to people of other faiths.

But Benedict is not John Paul. A deeply intellectual theologian, the current Pope has struggled to win over non-Catholics thanks, in part, to a lacklustre Vatican publicity team that is bad at firefighting, or explaining the nuances of papal vocabulary.

A series of controversial speeches and decisions since his inauguration in 2005 have damaged the Vatican's relations with Jewish and Muslim leaders whilst the ongoing clerical sex abuse scandal has engulfed his Church in one of its worst crises in living memory.

All of which has profound implications for the 83-year-old pontiff's visit. The most obvious example is the Protest the Pope coalition which is planning to hold a series of demonstrations, with some of its leaders even threatening to try to get Benedict arrested for crimes against humanity.

There are also concerns that the cost of tickets to the open-air Masses has put off some Catholics. Benedict's British visit is the first time pilgrims have been asked to pay to attend open-air gatherings. The so-called "pilgrim passes" – which cover some of the costs of transport and include a goodie bag – range from £5 (the cheapest tickets for the Hyde Park vigil) to £25 for the beatification ceremony of Cardinal Newman in Birmingham's Cofton Park.

Earlier this month, the Scottish Herald reported that some parishes have failed to sell more than half their allocation of tickets to the open-air Mass in Glasgow's Bellahouston Park because of concerns over the ticket costs and the long hours that pilgrims would be expected to wait outdoors before the service begins.

But a spokesman in Scotland said it was too early to say how popular the event would be, although initial indications showed a large take-up. "There are more than 500 parishes in Scotland and only 20 per cent have come back to us so far with their figures," the spokesman said. "The vast majority, around 80 per cent, have used up their full quota of pilgrim passes."

The likelihood of there being empty seats at the Masses, however, is very slim, primarily because the events are much smaller gatherings held under stricter security and health and safety conditions than the 1982 Masses. Jack Valero, one of the organisers of Cardinal Newman's beatification, admits the number of people who will get to see Benedict will be far fewer than those who greeted Pope John Paul.

"In all, we hope around 250,000 pilgrims will get to attend one of the three big events: that's around a quarter of the people who attend Mass each week," he said. "We hope a lot more will come out on to the streets to greet him."

But while Pope Benedict may have a hard task winning over the hearts and minds of the British public, many believe he can still pull it off.

"When the Pope visited Australia [in 2008] there was a similar lack of enthusiasm from the press and some quarters of the general public," says Ella Leonard, a member of Catholic Voices, a volunteer group set up to speak on behalf of "ordinary Catholics". "But when he touched down the whole country went crazy. I think Britain will be very similar."

Clifford Longley, meanwhile, believes there is no reason why Benedict can't appeal to the British public as his predecessor did.

"There is an X-factor which is absolutely unpredictable and that is the relationship between Pope Benedict and the British public," he says. "It might go badly wrong but I think there is at least an equal chance, if not a better one, that it will go right."

Comments= (1)

Why are the parishioners having to pay to see the Pope? Does the Pope not have a small fortune at his disposal? Does he not own a fortune in property and art? I find it hard to believe in this day and age that a religious organization like the RCC has to ask parishioners to pay for a visit from their boss (on earth).

As a person of faith I find the RCC behavior over the last few years to beggar belief. Surely the Pope should see there is a crisis in Europe in regard to his church and fund this himself on the basis of getting some good publicity?

The secularist will have a field day with this. Dawkins must be loving it!

(2)

I for one would be horrified at the very idea of my taxes, for example, paying for the visit of the head of a socially/nationally accepted religious cult whose claims to fame include the unthinkable torture many young children went through at the hands of their priests, nevermind the church's tireless efforts to cover them up, as well as their out-dated, and quite frankly laughable views on women, ****sexuals and so on.

If the Pope was so eager to visit he could pay for it all himself. A few million is quite literally a drop in the ocean. After all, it was estimated that the Vatican could have paid the entire world out of the credit crunch/economic recession we face now, but alas, as opposed to caring for people as it so often claims to do atop its moral high-horse, it would rather retain all its pretty paintings and watch as the likes of parents commit suicide over the economic situation. But apart from going on a rather justified tangent, it is about time the Catholic Church and subsequently the Pope nevermind all organisations who inspire and incite hatred and poor treatment of others in society knew their place, and I applaud anyone who has already, or intends to speak out against this visit.

To those with the gall to actually pay for the visit, try to have an ounce of respect for the lives that the Catholic Church has ruined, and moreso do not be fooled by the fact that it hides itself behind a veil of good deeds/motives. Hitler, afterall, while undoubtedly evil, did a number of good things throughout Germany prior to the war with seemingly good motives, such as reducing the unemployment rate drastically and making Germany's economy stronger than ever before, albeit for the purpose of war. All those things prior to the war were undoubtedly good, yet Hitler and his regime also undoubtedly did horrible, unspeakable things, but it is these things we hold him to. Why should the Catholic Church be any different?

Maybe the victims should all send the church a bill for the damages they owe them. Then take them to court to collect it and sell off the property the so jealously grasp to their chests while crying poverty.

Since when does one pay to go to mass No matter who's presiding?!

_________________________
As Mark Twain once quipped, history may not repeat itself, but it does rhyme.

This is a very personal thing for me, not something you see on this topic whenever it comes to be news worthy.

But, i will make it perfectly clear, that i am not condoning the tremendous sexual, emotional, physical & mental abuse perpetrated by these "persons" of God.

"Can you spare me a dime?"

Well, this 10 year old boy's life just might have been saved, by the Catholic church, Starting with a Catholic neighbor, who was aware of my physical, emotional & mental abuse by my "MOM,"Then a Catholic priest, that found just the place for me. I at first had to be accepted by the religious order of men, first.

I, was accepted, by the Xaverian Brothers who were in charge of taking care of us young boys, between 10-14 years old, there were about 50 of us, each year that i was there. We were either orphans, or boys whose "mothers" didn't want them. None of us had "fathers."

I was welcomed, into my new home, my new family & by my other brothers there. I was given (for the first time in my 10 years of existence.) Compassion, understanding & love.

We, boys were totally dependent on others, benefactors, whom we had never seen. We sent out a printed magazine to our benefactors 4 times a year asking as you put it, "Hey buddy can you spare a dime."

From, persons of other faiths, along with Catholics, had made sure that we had food, clothing & warmth. And an education.

Those, Brothers, provided compassion, understanding & love.

They, also administered discipline. But we boys could test the patience of an angel. Most of time it was deserved. Some of the time i was on the receiving end of a paddle, with a hunk of lead in it. And it was administrated by "showing your moon"bare ass, and holding onto your ankles. And you wouldn't be sitting down anytime soon either. Oh, yes it drawed blood. And you prayed that it didn't happen on a Saturday night, Our shower night, as that water made it hurt that much more.

Long story short. I have always considered those 4 years there, as the best of my young life. In fact, i always consider it there that my life had begun.

I, no longer practice any religion. But there are 2 sides to every story, This is my side.

Oh, before i forget, One of our brothers here in MS, had PM'd me about a year ago, he had seen my signature below, Working Boys' Home. He told me that he was also there..but he was sexually abused by one of the Brothers there.

So, my haven, was his..Hell. Tears me apart whenever i hear about the sexual abuse by those "men of God."

But, I am glad that someone had a "dime to spare," way back in 1949-1953. Other wise i might not be here now.

Once again I ask where are the headlines about "MOTHERS SEXUALLY ABUSING THEIR SONS"!!! Where in the hell are they??

Heal well, my brothers, heal well.

" I will take that lost boys hand, and i will lead him from the depths of darkness, into the sunshine, forever into eternity."

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